CSO petitions IGP over parade of man as IPOB member

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called for an “impartial” probe into the parade of one Thaddeus Ikechukwu Ojokoh as a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Imo.

The civil society organisation (CSO) said Ojokoh was in police custody during the time of the crime he was claimed to have committed.

BACKGROUND

On April 30, the police command in Imo paraded nine suspected members of IPOB over the murder of five officers and two civilians in the state.

The suspects were Ojokoh Ikechukwu, Chilaka Charles, Anthony Iwu, Damian Ibe, Iwuala Simeon, Obali Paul, and Matthew Chukwuma.

“After interrogating Matthew Chukwuma, he confessed to be the sector command of the dreaded IPOB/ESN syndicate in Mbaise and assisted the curious operatives in arresting three of his members namely; Ojoko Ikechukwu, 53 years, of Umugwa, Chilaka Charles aged 44 of Umuezuo and Anthony Iwu aged 50 years of Umugwa all in Umuokirika, in Ahiazu-Mbaise LGA of Imo state,” Imo police had said.

On April 21, gunmen killed five police officers and a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Nwagu during an attack at Okpala community in Ngor-Okpala LGA, Imo state.

RULAAC KICKS

In a statement on Monday, RULAAC said Ojokoh, a tailor and father of five, was arrested by the police on April 15, 2023 — five days before the killing of the police officers.

The CSO wondered how Ojokoh was able to get involved in the killing of police officers despite being in police custody.

“Thaddeus Ojokoh’s family members find it both curious and ironic that Ojokoh who was arrested on April 15 and still detained at the Tiger Base Owerri as of April 21 when the attack was carried out and has not been released up to date could be paraded alongside others alleged to have carried out that same attack,” the statement reads.

“Ojokoh’s family members were hoping that the police would have finished their investigation and cleared him of any links with IPOB or charged him in court.

“But on April 21, six days after his arrest, hoodlums attacked policemen on patrol at Ngor-Okpala and killed four of them.

“Attacks on police installations or killing of police officers are totally condemnable serious and unjustifiable crimes.

“The attack and killing of four police officers at Ngor-Okpala junction on April 21, 2023, was unjustifiable and all those responsible should not be spared the maximum penalty permitted by law.

“However, parading a man for a crime committed while in police custody raises serious concerns and questions, and calls for careful investigation to ensure that an innocent person is not accused wrongly or made to pay the price for a crime he did not commit.

“We hereby humbly request the IGP to order a discrete investigation to unravel this mystery.”